I Cross My Heart
by livingvicariously75
Summary: Garcia orchestrates a candy heart exchange game for the team on Valentines day. JJ/Hotch all the way, though references to the rest of the team. Would refer to it as a romantic comedy that will definitely hit M territory before it's over. While JJ and Hotch are featured couple, rest of the team are involved also. Response to a Valentines fic challenge on FB
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"Really Garcia?" Was all JJ could ask when she saw the perky computer analyst passing out boxes of candy hearts to the rest of the team, a mischievous smile on her face as she handed a box to JJ.

"Yes really, it's time we had some fun around here again and as you all know tomorrow is Valentine's day." Garcia said cheerfully, not seeming at all phased by the skeptical looks she was receiving from the gathered agents. She also ignored the frown Hotch displayed as paused his walk past the bullpen to see what was going. His question was answered before he even voiced it as she thrust a box of the candy into his hand, watching with delight as he studied the words visible through the clear plastic heart shape on the front, frown deepening as he read the _True Love_ reference that was visible. Love was the last thing he wanted to think of as he faced the weekend without even Jack to keep him company due to a birthday slumber party for one of his friends.

"Garcia, is this really necessary?" Hotch had to at least ask, even though the resignation was already apparent in his voice. They had all learned long ago learned the futility of trying to dissuade her from making a big production out of every holiday that came along. They had already participated in a costume party for Halloween, a Thanksgiving potluck at the office and even a white elephant gift exchange for Christmas but apparently she wasn't through yet. He could already picture the green food and computer backgrounds that would soon be appearing to herald St. Patricks day followed by an office easter egg hunt if they weren't out in the field. While her antics were sometimes taxing on one's nervous system, he had to admit her determination to bring themes of levity and togetherness to the team still played a key role in helping them not get swallowed up by the darkness of their work.

Rossi looked amused as he opened the box and began reading the sayings on the many colored candy hearts. His face fell as he realized they were the garden variety sayings you could pick up at any retail store as opposed to some of the steamier ones he had seen special ordered from various adult resources. _"Now that could liven things up," _he thought with a smirk as he patiently waited for Garcia to continue outlining whatever plan she had in mind.

"Get your mind out of the gutter sir," Garcia winked at him, reading his thoughts as easily as if she were a profiler herself. "This will still be fun, but everyone has to wait and hear the rules."

She waited to ensure she had everyone's attention, taking in the lack of enthusiasm portrayed by the majority of the group. Reid looked a little clueless as he surveyed the hearts, Derek was the only one who joined Rossi in looking a little amused and indulgent to whatever whim she was following. Hotch and JJ both looked resigned though a little ill at ease, not surprising she thought considering JJ's divorce from Will only 6 months ago. While he had not said anything about it everyone knew that something had happened with Hotch and Beth as he had stopped mentioning her name and it had been quite some time since he had taken any weekends off to go to New York. Consensus was that he and Beth had broken up but that he wanted to keep his personal life private, the only burning question the team really had about it was wondering who had been the one to break it off.

"Better not eat any of those yet," she halted Reid before he popped one of the hearts in his mouth, curious to see if they tasted as chalky as they looked. "The way we play the game is that everyone has to secretly give a candy heart to everyone else here. Then tomorrow we mingle among ourselves and each have to guess who sent which heart. Doesn't that sound like a fun way to use your profiling skills for the holiday?" She said with a toothy grin, continuing to ignore the lack of enthusiasm portrayed by the others.

"Sounds like a setup for us to get all touchy feely." Morgan called her out on the obvious theme of her game. "You don't need to concoct a game for me to tell you how sexy you are?" He said with a wink, ignoring the responses from the others at his shameless flirting. He was tempted to allude to her game as a matchmaking attempt but considering some of her likely targets were standing there he decided to save that for a more private conversation.

"Cute, but you know you and I are not the only ones playing." She admonished him gently before turning back to the team. You have until the end of today to make your exchanges, without getting caught. Then tomorrow we'll all have fun guessing." She finished, delighted as she saw that despite the lack of enthusiasm wheels were turning as they began to think through how they could achieve the goals she had set forth.

As everyone went their separate ways a few had to admit that her little scheme had brought a little relief to the drudgery of a paperwork day while they were on break to work on the less exciting aspects of their work in reviewing profile requests, catching up on documentation and reviewing cases to prepare for upcoming trials and testimonies.

Hotch got distracted from the days mission as he left the hearts forgotten in his top drawer before he went to spend the majority of the day in a department head meeting. He was quickly reminded of the challenge when he got back to his desk shortly before lunch to see six candy hearts all lined up on his desk, face down. With an inward groan he began to flip them over, not surprised that the first 3 he turned over all said _Smile_, followed by a _My Pal_. He expected more of the same when he moved to the next pink heart to see _Hot Stuff_, which caused him to pause as he started mentally rolling through the team members, honing in on the female members of his team though not dismissing the possibility that Rossi would use this opportunity to mess with his head. More on guard he flipped over the last heart to see the words _Let's Kiss_ jump out from the innocent green confection. His mind quickly went into profiler mode as he began quickly narrowing down the list of possible senders, assuming that at least two of the "Smiles" were from Morgan and Reid, but between the female members of the team and the ever present possibility that Rossi was playing a head game with him he found the others harder to sort out.

"Damn," he exclaimed under his breath as he tried to run through the possibilities in his mind, though his profiling skills seemed to be lost as all he could keep coming back to was wondering which one might be from JJ and trying to overcome wishful thinking with actual profiling. He finally moved _Hot Stuff_ aside, attributing that to Garcia, as he couldn't imagine anyone else on the team having that kind of nerve. Staring at the three remaining hearts he placed the last _Smile_ to the side attributing that to Blake as he stared at the _My Pal_ and _Lets Kiss_ hearts that remained. He yearned to believe that JJ had sent him the kiss heart but the profiler within had a hard time considering her being that brazen. With a sigh and a frown he made his decision, knowing that Rossi and his perverse sense of humor was likely behind the overtly flirtatious heart he had received.

Opening his own box of candy he began sorting out the hearts he would need to deliver himself, easily picking out the non-romantic ones for his male colleagues as he quickly grabbed up the least suggestive ones he could for Blake and Garcia. His fingers lingered over the rest of the hearts as he tried to pick the perfect one for JJ, wishing he could tell her some of the feelings that he had harbored for her but knowing this was not the time as she was still dealing with the aftermath of her divorce. He was forcing himself to wait at least a year to be sure he didn't catch her on the rebound. Listening to his instincts and with the last decision made he slid the six hearts in his pocket to go see how many he could deliver without being seen. Smiling at his good fortune he noticed several of the team members had left their desks for the lunch hour.

Deliveries quickly made the Unit Chief retreated to his office and engrossed himself in paperwork, trying to ignore the thought of Valentine's Day since he and Beth had broken up. She had been the one to suggest that the long distance relationship wasn't working out for her and he suspected she had found someone else in the art circles of New York. He didn't feel particularly saddened, though a little disappointed as he and Jack both dealt with moving forward with the loss of another woman in their lives.

As JJ got back to her desk she was not surprised to find a couple more hearts had joined the collection that had started that morning, a new heart seeming to appear whenever she left her desk for so much as a trip to the ladies room. Surveying the newest addition she began sorting through her collection, trying to hide her disappointment at the lack of flirtatious comments as she tried to tell herself that everyone was probably trying to respect her recently divorced status, but wishing for a little more fun as she sorted through the assortment, almost methodically assigning a heart to each of her friends. After the fifth My Pal she inexplicably felt a pang of hurt, grateful for her friends and yet feeling resigned to the role of team buddy. While she wasn't pursuing a relationship with any of her teammates a little flirtation would at least have helped restore some of her self-confidence considering she had found Will in bed with another woman that fateful night they had returned early from a case and she had gone home to surprise him. Resigning herself to finding another bland friendship saying she finally flipped over the last heart that had nearly escaped under her stapler, feeling her pulse quicken as the words _Let's Kiss _leapt out at her.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

JJ almost flung the pink heart back under her stapler she dropped it so quickly. _Let's Kiss!_ It seemed to shout at her as her mind reeled. She began quickly trying to narrow down the list as she began mentally checking off her colleagues and who might have sent what. Holding the green heart thoughtfully she started by ruling out Garcia and Blake before shifting her thoughts to her male colleagues. It didn't take her more than a moment to discount Reid who she knew would not be that forward even if he was harboring feelings for her, after ruling out those three the process became considerably slower as she began mulling over the remaining names.

Her eyes drifted up the stairs as she briefly considered Hotch. She tried to imagine him leaving such an obviously flirtatious heart on her desk. She wanted it to be him, she could admit that to herself. She had harbored what she tried to define as a schoolgirl crush on the man since she had first walked into his office those years ago. But no matter how she tried to dismiss and ignore the thoughts they would simply not go away. She had finally settled for enjoying a growing friendship with the man and accepted that it would never go beyond a bond shared as single parents raising young sons. She idly wandered if he would be bold enough to give her the heart, even if he did have feelings for her, but found herself doubting it. The boldness of the heart screamed either Morgan or Rossi to her as she relegated a _My Pal _heart to Hotch. It was not hard to imagine Rossi giving the heart to all the women as he moved to the primary suspect position. Morgan may have been flirtatious, but Rossi was the resident Lothario she thought as she let her instincts consider both men, finally deciding it had more of a Rossi feel to it as she finally dropped them all into her paperclip tray, confident that she had picked the correct senders for round two of the game which would start the next morning.

_Valentines day_

The game proved to be more entertaining than Garcia or anyone else had imagined as the next day work stayed on the backburner as each team member found time to pull aside their colleagues to get confirmation of their guesses, JJ tried to act nonchalant as she made her rounds, finding many of her guesses confirmed with the exception of the one heart that had kept preoccupying her thoughts since she had received it. She wanted to go ask Hotch, knowing he would be the one who could clear up the mystery for her, but unfortunately he had started the day in a budget meeting and was still MIA by the time lunchtime had arrived. Tired of sitting at her desk pretending to try and work she gave up, deciding she would rather go take care of some personal errands instead of continuing to sit and watch the ongoing Valentine celebration that seemed to be dominating not only the bullpen but the whole floor. She felt a bit like Scrooge but had a difficult time enjoying all the flirting and good natured fun her colleagues seemed to be having in honor of the occasion.

Arriving home several hours later JJ walked in the door, dropping a couple of grocery bags on the table before kicking off her shoes. She was glad the day was over but couldn't stop wishing Henry were here with her. She was trying to accept that it was important for him to have visitation with Will and that time with his father was important their son, but hated the feelings of emptiness that threatened to overtake her during the rare times she was in the apartment alone, surrounded only by the toys and reminders of her energetic child.

She hoped Henry was having fun with Will and his new girlfriend Candace. She had tried to find something to not like about the woman when she had first met her, but after a few interactions and running a thorough background check to ensure the woman was safe for her son to be around she had to grudgingly admit that Will seemed to have picked someone decent to move on with. He had been a little upset on learning that she had run a background check on his girlfriend but eventually accepted that this would be the routine for any woman he dated who would be around their son and begged JJ to at least be subtle in the future. To her credit Candace had simply laughed it off and said she understood considering JJ's line of work.

JJ tried to wipe thoughts of her ex-husband out of her mind as she went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine, looking forward to clearing her mind of thoughts of work and just relaxing at home with the remote for company. She considered the possibility of a bubble bath later as she began flipping through channels to see what was available. Settling on an old episode of _The Nanny_ as she decided a good dose of comedy was just what she needed, soon realizing that yet another episode of the woman shamelessly flirting with her boss may not be the theme she needed to follow after all. She laughed a little at the thought of anyone actually behaving that way, idly wondering for a moment just what would happen if she sat on the edge of Hotch's desk in a short skirt. She quickly dismissed the idea before it overtook her imagination as she reached for the remote again, hitting mute when her doorbell rang. Looking through the peephole she was surprised to see Hotch standing on the other side. Ignoring the somersaults her stomach had begun doing she opened the door.

"Hotch, what are you doing here?" The tone in her voice was genuinely confused and then worried as she saw the bewildered expression on his handsome face. She arched an eyebrow as he wordlessly held out his palm to display the _My Pal_ and _Let's Kiss_ hearts he had apparently received earlier that day. She didn't say anything further, merely waiting as she stepped back to admit him into her apartment, automatically shutting and locking the door behind him.

"I'll make this short, but I couldn't go all weekend without clearing this up. I'm confused JJ," Hotch admitted slowly. "I thought you had given me this," he said holding up the pink _My Pal_ heart. By the time I returned from the budget meeting you had already left. Blake, Reid and Morgan all confirmed they had given me messages to _Smile_. Garcia even admitted to _Hot Stuff_. He paused, continuing when it was obvious she had no response yet. He watched her closely to make sure she followed him as he continued making his deductions. "Since you were gone I went to give Dave hell and let him know that I knew he was the one who gave me this one," he stopped to indicate the green heart still resting in his palm. "But he denied it, laughed at me, told me he liked me as a friend but kissing me was the farthermost thing from his mind. So that only leaves me with two options now. Either Dave is still lying, or I was wrong and you didn't give me the _Pal_ heart. I decided I needed to come to the person I could trust to be honest about it so it didn't stay on my mind the rest of the weekend." He set the two hearts on and end table, tired of holding the now sticky confections in his hand as he anticipated finally solving the puzzle that had been weighing on his mind.

JJ wanted to answer immediately but stopped herself as she surveyed the serious expression on his face that belied any effort he may have been making to sound casual about his question. Looking into his dark brown eyes she felt her pulse jump as she recognized what appeared to be a shred of hope hiding in the depths. She paused before responding, trying to carefully select her words as she began to carefully proceed through the door he had just swung wide open in front of her.

"I'm glad you asked," she tentatively began. "To be honest I've been wondering the same thing about my own set of hearts. I had decided that you had also given me the _My Pal_ heart, attributing the _Let's Kiss_ saying to Dave, but he denied it when I went to his office today to ask. He made some reference to being old enough to be my father then insinuated that he thought you were the sender. Now I'm getting the feeling we're both being set up here," she said as the pieces of the puzzle finally fell together. She saw a flash of disappointment on her bosses face as his own question was answered, the shields almost visibly coming up to cover any emotions he was feeling.

Going for broke she went with her instincts, blurting out what came to mind before she even had a chance to overthink it. "But I wanted to give you the one that Dave did." She confessed, seeing the surprise on his face, followed by an almost tentative yet still guarded smile. Relieved she maintained eye contact to let her words sink in. Heart pounding as she felt the moment of truth at hand, feeling herself standing out on a limb as she waited to see if he would join her or not.

"So if I understand this correctly, you and I both played it safe and gave each other the _My Pal_ heart. Then Dave decided to muddy the waters in some twisted attempt at playing matchmaker. He had to know we would figure it out." Hotch carefully deduced, trying to bring the picture into focus.

"Maybe he didn't care, even if we did figure out his role it would likely make us put our feelings out in the open." JJ ventured a guess

"And what feelings are those?" Hotch had to ask, feeling guilty for putting the weight of the question on her but not yet ready to drop his guard with so much at stake.

JJ bit her lip trying to decide how honest to be before deciding that this was a time for action to speak louder than words.

She reached down to pick up the discarded hearts where he had left them on her end table, turning them slowly in her palm before looking up to meet his eyes again. "You know I really like them both," JJ said softly, hoping her eyes conveyed the depths of her emotions as she placed the pink and green candies gently in his now sweaty palm, trying not to hold her breath as she waited for his response.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Hotch paused a beat as he tried to collect his thoughts, feeling tension growing in the room as he searched for the right words so as to not ruin the moment. "You've been a friend for so long JJ, _My Pal_ doesn't seem deep enough to encompass what your friendship has meant to me." He stopped, wishing he could convey just how much he depended on her steadfast friendship. Licking his suddenly dry lips he pushed his words forward, trying to sound more confident than he felt and to stop holding back. His heart and mind both telling him that he could trust the woman before him with his feelings. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but I'd be lying if I told you I had never thought of what it would be like to hold you, for us to be together, what it might be like if you could return the feelings I have for you." He stopped, feeling like he was rambling and had said too much. He averted his eyes, not able to hold her gaze any longer as he had seen her eyes widen in surprise at the honesty of his declaration.

"Did you ever look in the dictionary about the definition of pal? It's not just a friend, it means a close friend. You are one of my closest friends Hotch, nothing will change that. But I've had the same thoughts you have about us being more. I've just never known how to address it. It's not like I can just walk into your office or sidle up next to you on the plane and announce that I have feelings for you." She said candidly, feeling less insecure now that he had made his own admission.

"I wish you would have, it might have saved us both a lot of time." He said huskily, a playful grin appearing on his face as he stepped closer, causing her to step back instinctively as she felt her back touch the living room wall. She didn't feel threatened but rather felt goosebumps at his nearness as she realized that they were now bringing an end to the dancing around their mutual attraction.

He couldn't step much closer but she felt her pulse accelerate as he leaned further into her personal space, now only scant inches away as he placed his hand on the wall near her head. She tried hard to concentrate on what was happening as her mind tried to wrap itself around the fact that her boss, the man she had thought was forever unattainable to her was now so close. The fact that he was her boss throwing up a professional red flag in the small areas of her brain that was still able to function.

"This could be a huge mistake, ruin our careers." She tried to tell herself as she entertained the thought of stepping away from the man in front of her. But her mind couldn't focus long enough to follow through with such a thought as she got distracted by how good he smelled. She had never realized just how erotic Irish Spring soap could be and her bodies physical response was fast overpowering any attempts from her brain to think ahead beyond the moment they were in.

Hotch stayed still and waited, watching for some kind of signal from her on how to proceed as he could see in her expression some of the conflict she was experiencing. If she showed the least hesitation he would walk away and that would be that. He had already dismissed similar concerns, determined that he wasn't going to let fear of the future rob him of the opportunity to finally know what it would feel like to have her in his arms, to taste her lips against his own.

As JJ felt the reservations melt away she stared at him for a breathless moment as she realized what he was waiting for. Her eyes didn't leave his as she slowly lifted her hair away from the sensitive spot just below her right earlobe, tilting her head and waiting as she silently gave an invitation. She took a breath and held it as she closed her eyes, waiting to see what he would do next.

JJ shivered involuntarily as she felt his warm breath against her ear for a long second, maybe two before his mouth tentatively touched her skin for the first time. To her surprise a simple little kiss on the neck caused her heart to begin racing even faster than before as she focused on the heat emanating from that one spot.

At her obvious delight as she wrapped her arms up around his neck Hotch began kissing his way slowly down the side of her neck, his mouth becoming hotter and more sensual against her skin as he gained confidence. As he tasted the creamy flesh he wondered how long she would let him go before she made him stop. Meanwhile she was already wondering just how she would react when he kissed her on the mouth, knowing she would probably melt into a puddle at his feet if he did so considering the feelings being stirred just by the feel of his lips on her neck. The feelings stirring in her gut were rapidly telling her that there was more than a simple kiss going on and that the pace was escalating much faster than was probably wise considering they had just made their feelings known.

Summoning her strength she put her hands flat on his chest and whispered his name as she gently pushed away. "Hotch." Was all she could say, her voice catching in her throat as she said his name, the one croaked word enough to stop him in his tracks as he stepped back away from her. He didn't say a word, taking a few calming breaths of his own as he settled for just watching her, waiting, anticipating a dismissal as he could see the conflicting thoughts in her eyes. They both knew they were crossing boundaries and moving towards something that would not be easily dismissed as a Valentine's game.

"JJ," he responded steadily despite the pounding in his chest. His dark eyes kept searching her blue ones as he waited to see where she wanted to take this next, knowing she had every right to send him home now and knowing that he would obey her wishes regardless of how disappointed he might be.

"_To hell with it,"_ JJ's inner voice finally screamed at her, tired of being the good girl as she stared at the man before her who was so clearly ready to kiss her if she would allow it. She knew she couldn't blame anyone but herself for whatever happened next as she grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket and pulled him back towards her. She didn't speak as she held his lapels in a death grip and stretched up to kiss his jaw, clearly determined as she held his jacket in a death grip as she stretched up on tiptoes to find his lips before kissing him, long and hard just as she had so often fantasized about.

"_Just one good kiss, then I'll send him home,"_ she thought as she felt his lips against hers. It was a good plan and might have worked if he had cooperated and remained passive. He didn't cooperate though, instead after a moment of recovery he eagerly participated, arms wrapping around her as he pulled her tightly against him, his mouth slanting over hers as he took control of the kiss.

His mouth never left hers as he allowed his hands to slide down her back. _I probably should have told him my plan ahead of time,_ JJ thought before her ability to focus on anything beyond the kiss seemed to disappear. Her hands were now around his neck as she threaded her fingers into his hair, reveling in the taste and feel of him as they kissed.

Hotch didn't force her to part her lips, she did that all on her own. She didn't push him away when his tongue slipped inside her mouth, instead giving as good as she got as things got more heated. It was he who finally ended the kiss, pulling away, his breathing ragged from the effect she was having on him. She knew she should send him away now as they both silently gulped for air, still holding each other close.

But she wanted more, just one more kiss before she lost her nerve and reason rushed in. He must have wanted the same thing because he tilted her head back and kissed her again. Unbelievably she found this kiss to be even better than the last as she tightened her hold and tried to pull herself closer to him.

Hotch finally pulled back again, now dropping his head to the crook of his neck as he tried to make sense of what was happening to his plan to come over and hopefully enjoy one simple sweet kiss before he would take his leave. Now all he could think about was the way she felt in his arms, the scent and taste of her overwhelming his senses.

"If I stay longer we're going to go a long way past kissing." He finally said in warning as he lifted his head, looking down at her as he caressed her cheek before he stepped away to give them some much needed physical space to think clearly.

_AN: Thanks for the reviews, much appreciated._


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: This is the M chapter, if anyone wants to skip it's probably not essential to the story to read this chapter as the next chapter will drop back to a less mature rating._

_Chapter 4_

"I know," she said softly, the note of acceptance clear in her voice as she weighed the ramifications of letting him stay. She considered both options, a night of passion with a man she secretly loved and the heartbreak that would follow after they had satisfied their lust and returned to their professional relationship. Or the knowledge that she had done the right thing and sent him away, mixed with the heartache that would come from knowing she had missed out on her one opportunity to fulfill the fantasies she had indulged in on many a lonely night.

She opened her mouth to tell him goodnight and let him leave but couldn't speak the words, her body thrumming, arguing with her brain as she longed to feel his mouth on her again. She felt decidedly wicked as she made her decision and took a step back in his direction, hoping the look on her face was enough to show him her desire for his touch.

"Are you sure?" he asked, trying to sound confident even though his mouth was dry as he was bombarded with every fantasy he had ever had about her. The way she was looking at him he knew he wasn't going anywhere soon, he had become hers for the taking. No reason to keep fighting the attraction he decided as he took a step back towards her, his fingers moving to loosen his tie in the process just in case she wasn't absolutely clear about where things were going if she didn't put the brakes on it.

He noticed her hands were clenched at her sides, her toes curled into the carpet as he approached, her posture could have looked defensive to the casual observer but as a profiler he easily read the nervous anticipation she was feeling before he again pulled her close. He kissed her forehead and then let her go, holding his breath as he waited to be sure she had made up her mind. She showed no hesitation as she leaned up to kiss his chin before moving lower and kissing the pulse point beating rapidly at the base of his neck. He must have liked what she was doing she realized as she heard the noise he made low in his throat. So she did it again, savoring a moment of control before she knew he would again took over.

Hotch tilted her head back and gave her a kiss that left no doubt as to how much he wanted her. They moved away from the wall as he lifted her off the ground, his tongue plundering her mouth as she eagerly reciprocated as he made his way towards the hallway. Finally letting her down so she could guide him to the door of her bedroom. As they moved into the small yet neatly furnished room he lifted her off the ground again as he ravaged her mouth, responding as he felt her nails digging through the fabric into his shoulders. His hands shook uncharacteristically as he reached for the tiny buttons of her blouse. It was awkward for him as he couldn't stop kissing her long enough to pay attention to what he was doing. The process became even more complicated as she worked at trying to remove his shirt at the same time. She had gotten the row of buttons at the front of his shirt completely undone before she felt herself gently pushed away.

She could tell it wasn't a push of rejection but of much needed space as she again worked to catch her breath, her mind spinning as she thought that kissing had never caused a reaction like this with her before. Kissing Hotch was completely different than anything she had experienced before she thought, wondering if part of the reason was because of how emotionally invested in him she had become over the years or if it was just the stunning contrast of the softness of his lips against the relative firmness the rest of his body seemed to possess. Everything about him seemed to arouse her yet she needed to slow down she thought, to savor every moment of this one night with him. But at the same time she felt impatient, wanting him to hurry up and take his clothes off, to feel his skin against her own. As she kept her distance he unfastened his cuffs before removing his dress shirt and pulling his t-shirt over his head. Aside from the scars left by The Reaper his chest was all muscle. He was beautiful she thought before he pulled her back into his arms, kissing her again as he resumed work on the buttons of her blouse, eager to feel the softness of her bare skin.

The kiss he gave as he continued to fumble with the buttons on her blouse was hot and wet, again surprising her that every kiss they shared seemed to be better than the last as she felt herself melting against him as he pushed her towards the edge of the bed. He forced himself to stop kissing her long enough to go back to work on her clothes, determined to get them off and feeling tempted to rip the blouse with the tiny pearl like buttons that were so impeding his progress.

"Are you particularly attached to this blouse?" He asked, his voice husky as his large fingers continued to work with the unrelenting article of clothing.

"Not at all," she said with a ragged breath as she arched her back to push her breasts towards him, aching to feel his hands over her.

Taking her at her word he skipped over the buttons as he shifted his hands to the hem of her blouse and pulled, the buttons popping to the floor as the delicate garment easily tore beneath his strong hands. The blouse was the farthest thing from her mind as she felt the heat of his gaze settle on what he had just exposed.

"You're beautiful" he whispered as his hands slipped under the now ruined blouse to caress the bare skin of her flat stomach. His hands slowly circled her as she tried not to squirm under his touch while waiting for his hands to move higher. He showed a little more finesse with the clasp of her bra as he removed it along with the scrap of cloth that had covered her only moments before. When his hands at last cupped her breasts she trembled as she arched her back again, pushing into his palms as she reveled in the feel of the calloused hands against the sensitive skin, the peaks of her breast hardening almost instantly with the heat of his touch.

"God, JJ," he groaned as he bent to claim her mouth again, even as he continued to massage the soft flesh now filling his hands. The way she whimpered into his mouth as he kissed her drove him crazy as he pulled back again, his head dropping back to her shoulder, his breathing harsh as he finally managed to let go of her long enough to step back and remove the rest of his clothing.

He knew it was only a matter of minutes before he lost control and wanted her ready before he did that. "We've got to slow down," he all but growled the thought out. He meant what he said but then she moved to press back against him her breasts rubbed against his chest and suddenly slowing down didn't seem that important any longer.

They fell together onto the bed as he rolled her onto her back and nudged her thighs apart with his knee. Bracing his weight so he wouldn't crush her he loomed over her waiting body. He growled low in his throat from the pure satisfaction of finally having one of the many fantasies he had about her finally coming true. She looked disheveled and thoroughly aroused, her hair fanned across the pillow. Her face was flushed, eyes dark with desire and her lips still swollen from his kisses as she stroked his forearms, enjoying the heat of his body as it pressed against her own.

She watched his face in wonder, his expression so different than any she had ever seen at the office as he slowly trailed his fingertips down her neck, then lower to the hollow between her breasts. She saw him smile at the goosebumps left in the wake of his touch as his hands moved lower towards the lacy scrap of underwear that was the last barrier remaining between them that she wore. Ever so slowly he removed the pink lace panties as he studied the newly bared area. JJ battled her feelings of self-consciousness under his gaze, watching his face again as he began to stroke her stomach, then her hips as his hands continued south.

JJ almost came off the bed as she felt his large hand finally slip between her thighs. She couldn't remain passive any longer as she reached up to stroke the side of his face, feeling a hint of stubble on his jaw as she did so. Her hands began their own journey, caressing his neck and then his shoulders as she continued her own exploration. She could feel the heat of his body and the powerful muscles in his upper arms as she stroked muscles that were generally hidden beneath a stuffy suit jacket that she now realized had never revealed just how in shape their unit chief really was.

She knew she would never be able to look at him the same after this, now that she had touched him so intimately to now be aware of the texture of his skin and what was so often hid from the eyes of others. She took her time, hoping to drive him as crazy as he was driving her, determined to press on even though he seemed bent on continuing to distract her.

He was stroking her breasts again as he nibbled at the sensitive spot on her neck. She knew there would be a mark there the next morning but didn't care as she closed her eyes and arched her neck back before trailing her fingers to his stomach, feeling his abdominal muscles flex beneath her fingertips as they trailed down to her goal as she tugged at the waistband of his dress slacks. Glad he got the hint as he stepped back just long enough to slide them down, taking his boxers with them before hastily discarding them somewhere on her floor. He returned to her eagerly and resumed his attentions to her neck as ever so slowly her fingers circled his navel and then moved lower, wrapping her hand around him as he growled low in his throat.

He let her explore for as long as he could stand it before grabbing her hand, knowing if she continued things would end much too soon. Keeping her under him he returned to her mouth and kissed her passionately, his tongue rubbed against hers as his hands caressed her. He moved lower and kissed her breasts as he announced that he was going to kiss her all over. She couldn't find a voice to even ask him if he was serious as he set about his task. She heard herself moan as even with her eyes squeezing shut from pleasure she felt his mouth moving lower, tickling her stomach as he circled her naval with his tongue before moving lower still until he was touching her very center.

The pleasure she felt was consuming as her nails dug into his shoulder blades so hard she knew she was marking him as much has he was her. Her moans as she writhed beneath him sent his self-control into tatters as he yearned to be inside her. "Hotch," she groaned out his name at the loss as she felt him roll away, reaching for his discarded slacks and fumbling for his wallet.

"It's ok," he panted, "I just want us to be safe." He assured her as he hoped that he had remembered to carry a condom with him.

"I'm clean, and on the pill." She said as she watched him continuing to try and find the pocket to his trousers. Glad when he apparently took her at her word and dropped them and moved to rejoin her on the bed.

"Are you sure it's ok?" He asked again, obviously straining with the desire to be inside her.

"I trust you," she affirmed as he rolled back on top of her, kissing her fervently as he held her hands above her head with one hand while he again began to make love to her with his mouth. The first tremors of ecstacy caught her unaware as he was not even inside her yet when she felt them. She thought it might end there, but it didn't as the pleasure continued to grow, even as he slid a single finger inside her to gauge her readiness for him causing her to instinctively arch her back as she opened herself more fully to him. She felt the pleasure continue to grow in intensity to the point that it almost frightened her before he finally moved between her thighs, pressing into her gradually as he gave her body time to adjust to him.

She felt him come to rest deep inside her before he paused and began to retreat before pressing forward again. His jaw clenched and his control began to snap as she arched against him before wrapping her legs around him. The sensations were so overwhelming he couldn't slow the pace as she began lifting her hips to meet each hard thrust. When he finally climaxed inside her she was right there with him, calling out his name as she felt herself shatter before they finally collapsed against each other.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A few minutes later found both lovers laying together, completely spent as they let their breathing returning to normal. Hotch was almost afraid to speak, afraid he would break the spell as he couldn't find the words to describe what had just happened between them, so he opted for silence, enjoying the sensations of skin against skin.

JJ likewise had been silent, enjoying the afterglow as she tried to think of what words could possibly follow such an encounter. She had just begun toying with the idea of saying a playful _"So now what?"_ when the question seemed to be answered for her as Hotch wordlessly released her and crawled out of bed, disappearing into the small bathroom adjoining her room.

She instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a tear threaten to slide down her cheek as she listened to the sounds he was making in the bathroom. She started emotionally preparing herself for his departure now that he had obviously gotten what he had come for. She started to feel cheap, regretting that she had given in to him so easily. _"Remember you wanted this, even knowing it might not go further than tonight."_ She reminded herself, trying to keep the feelings of disappointment at bay.

She started seriously considering the possibility of faking sleep to avoid the awkwardness of watching him start gathering up his clothes, debating between hiding or being open about her feelings and questions. If it wasn't for the fact that by Monday she would be seeing him again in a work schedule she was sorely tempted to be more assertive about asking for his insight on what had just happened and how this changed things. Already she began to wonder if this would be a scenario where nothing more was said until he called her into his office for a five minute _"let's pretend nothing happened"_ meeting.

Her blood continued to pulse loudly in her head as she allowed the implications of all that had just happened to sink in. Thoughts of how many rules they had just broken and the professional consequences of their behavior did touch her mind, but truth be told it was the hurt of how quickly he had left her bed that truly weighed on her mind. Deciding on avoiding confrontation she tried to pretend she was asleep as she heard the bathroom door open. Keeping her eyes closed even though her ears were wide open, she listened for the sounds of the search for scattered clothing to begin, still wondering if he might say something before just walking out as suddenly as he arrived.

JJ couldn't resist a slight shiver when she felt the draft of cool air hit her bare back as the covers lifted. The tears she had been trying to hold back began to flow of their own accord as the cold air was replaced with the warmth of the still naked man now spooned against her back.

"Did I hurt you?" The gentleness in his voice when he peered over her shoulder and noticed her tears only made them flow harder as he pulled her back against him. He wasn't sure why she was crying but he didn't detect anything to suggest fear or a desire to move away from him as she pressed herself closer against him.

"No, I just thought you were leaving, she admitted, hoping he could understand that her tears were happy ones.

"Oh, did you want me to?" She detected a rare note of uncertainty in his voice. "Jack is with Jessica this weekend, I remembered you saying Henry was with Will until Monday, so I thought I would stay…." His voice trailed off as he tried to give her a chance to answer without feeling pressured, his heart thudding as he waited to see if he was about to be dismissed.

His momentary doubt was quickly erased by the smile on her face as she turned in his embrace. Resting her chin against his shoulder as she nuzzled at his neck, soaking in the feeling of his body resting against hers. From the stubble of his jaw that was slightly scraping the side of her forehead, to the hairy thighs resting against her own smooth ones, she marveled at the closeness that she would have never dreamed possible mere hours ago.

She shivered as she felt his hand gently caress her shoulder and down her arm until he pulled her hand into his and held it. She enjoyed the sensation of his larger hand surrounding hers until she found herself chuckling, almost hearing his eyebrow raise as he pulled back to look at her.

"Are you always prone to rapid mood swings after making love?" He had to ask, his attempt to sound serious failing as he smiled in response, even though he wasn't sure what had struck her as humorous.

"I just thought we got things a little out of order, usually the handholding comes first." She giggled as she squeezed the hand holding hers before pulling it up to kiss it, seeing the smile spread slowly across his own face as they enjoyed the humor of thinking how out of order their entire relationship had been so far.

"But regarding your question I would like you to stay." She admitted almost feeling shy, but reassured by the obvious affection she saw in his eyes.

"Well in that case," he grinned wickedly as he quickly maneuvered their bodies to where she was resting on top of him, his intent becoming clear as he began brazenly exploring her body from this new angle.

This time their lovemaking was playful and much less hurried as they took time to tease and explore, enjoying the thrill of dreams finally coming true. Neither giving a damn about the potential professional consequences of their actions as they again collapsed against each other before falling asleep entwined on JJ's now rumpled bed.

_Morning_

JJ felt deliciously sore as she stealthily crept out of her bedroom, pleased with herself for managing to extricate herself from the man snoring in her bed without waking him. She picked up the first article of clothing she could find on the floor and smiled as she realized it was his dress shirt. Buttoning it up, she inhaled the masculine scent of him as she made her way to the kitchen intent on cooking breakfast for them. She wasn't sure about his appetite but she was ravenous as she began pulling ingredients for breakfast out of the cupboards and refrigerator. Whispers exchanged in the dark had already confirmed plans for him to remain at her place until they would have to part and pick up their respective children.

"You look good in my shirt." A deep voice jarred her from her thoughts as she turned from the stove to see a shirtless Hotch approaching, a lazy grin on his face as he approached to pull her into an embrace, starting to nip at the bared skin at her neck as his mind was obviously on a different sort of breakfast. He had initially come into the kitchen with food on his mind but the moment he had seen her wearing nothing but his dress shirt and the delicious curves beneath the thin fabric the thought of breakfast was forgotten.

"Keith Urban." She commented seeing a quizzical look cross his face as he leaned back and looked at her at the mention of another man's name in such an intimate moment.

"Keith Urban, he sings a song with that title." She explained slowly as she waited for the information to register.

"I take it that's country music?" Hotch finally said slowly as his search through his mental musical database came up empty.

"Oh that's right, you're not a country music fan, you're missing out." She smiled at him teasingly before turning back to the pan on the stove before the food started burning. "I think we should spend the whole day getting you acclimated to listening to country music. If you plan to be seeing me much out of work than you might as well get used to it." She kept a teasing tone in her voice but they both knew there was an unspoken question there.

"You're wanting to spend the day listening to songs about drinking, broken hearts and trucks." Hotch mock groaned even though his eyes twinkled. "I suppose it can't be any worse than chasing down serial killers." He said before spinning her back around into his arms, deftly pushing the sizzling pan off its burner as he turned to seat her on the counter.

"You're incorrigible" she reached over to turn off the burner even as she felt his shirt sliding off her shoulders as his nimble fingers had made quick work of the larger buttons. Breakfast was quickly forgotten as they christened her kitchen counters with their love making.

"I prefer to think of it as insatiable." He finally countered several minutes later when they were again working to regulate their breathing patterns.

"No complaint here," JJ said demurely as she took his hand and led him back to the bedroom. "I think I'll call for carryout, in the meantime let's get started on that country music."

_Several Hours Later_

"I've got to admit it's not as bad as I thought." Hotch admitted as the music stopped while the DJ began talking again. "I think we should start a game where we act out the ones we can." He teased, still remembering JJ's demonstration to him for _Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy_. He had been able to figure it out himself relatively quickly but he sure wasn't going to stop her from showing him her own interpretation.

As the sound of a steel guitar heralded the start of a new song set, Hotch frowned as he felt the blonde in his arms start to gently pull away.

"I've really got to take a shower," she explained as she kissed his jaw. "And no before you ask there's not room for two." She anticipated his next question. "You've seen the size of my bathroom."

"Fortunately I have a walk in shower, you'll have to come visit me next." Hotch said as he let her go, putting his hands behind his head as he laid back against the pillows, listening to the music as it played.

JJ expected to find him in the same position when she returned but was surprised to see that not only was he apparently out of the bed as it was neatly made but that the accumulation of takeout containers had all been removed from the room. She was even more perplexed when he reappeared in t-shirt and boxer shorts, fumbling with his phone. His brows creased in concentration as he worked to maneuver buttons on the small screen.

"What are you doing?" She finally had to ask, not used to seeing him quite so connected to his phone as was typical of others.

"I'm downloading a song, I think I'm doing this right." He said as he watched the screen intently. "I heard it while you were in the shower and knew I had to save it so I could play it for you later."

"I've probably heard it before, you could have told me the title." JJ said carefully, trying to act casual though she could feel her nerves tighten instinctively, knowing this was going to be somehow symbolic of their relationship and it's progression.

"I hope it's not too much or too soon," He finally said as turned up the volume and hit play, the look in his eyes showing a myriad of thoughts and emotions as the first chords started.

JJ recognized the song instantly as George Strait's mellow voice washed over her ears. By the time the chorus of _I Cross My Heart_ began tears were springing back to her eyes as she Hotch laid down the phone and pulled her into his arms, humming along to the music. "I do promise to give you all I've got, for the rest of our lives, I want to make you as happy as you make me." He said seriously, resisting the urge to lower himself to one knee, though envisioning hearing this song again when he hoped to be wearing a tuxedo instead of his boxers.

"I believe you," JJ finally responded, her cheeks wet as she realized that this was far more than she had ever hoped for. That though their path to each other had been unconventional and that they may have been a little hasty with the leap into the bedroom that this was the real thing.

As the last strains of the song about the promise of true love and happiness caressed her ears she could only sigh in contentment as she rested against him as they gently swayed to the closing chords. She knew they would have to take things a little slower for the sake of the children, their work and families. But none of that seemed to matter as she thought that no matter what pace they set they would still have each other. Idly she wondered just when the team might find out and chuckled as a thought crossed her mind.

"And I ask again, does sex always make you have mood swings." Hotch said introducing some levity to the moment.

"No, but being in love does." She responded, wanting him to know she returned his sentiments. "Actually I was wondering about when we would tell the team about us and then thought of the song."

"I have a suspicious they already know, the only secret will be when will they find out we actually consummated our feelings." Hotch said suspiciously, hoping that she wasn't thinking they should roll into work Monday morning declaring they had spent the weekend making up for lost time at her apartment.

"I don't know that we'll need to say anything. You know that our work phones are owned by the bureau, the bills are paid by the bureau. So Garcia will get a nice little pop up Monday morning that will tell of your little purchase today."

"If not sooner," Hotch said as JJ's phone dinged with an incoming text message. He looked over her shoulder to read Garcia's incoming message.

"I would ask you to tell me that bossman is there with you, but I don't have too because I already checked your GPS locators. I can't believe Rossi won the pool but am so happy for you both. You'll have to fill me in Monday. Luv ya – Pen"

This will obviously one of the worst kept secrets ever." Hotch grunted, I bet she's already speed dialed Morgan.

"Oh honey I can practically hear all their phones going off from here. But who cares what the team thinks right now." JJ said with a smile, still basking in the glow of emotion as she took his hand and led him back towards her bedroom.

"I sure don't," Hotch practically growled as he pulled her with him back down to the bed. "Now lets work on that interpretation of _Nothing On But the Radio._

_The End_

_AN: Obviously a knowledge of country music is helpful here but not essential. My Challenges were the "My Pal" Valentines Heart and "I Cross My Heart" by George Strait. Thanks to everyone for the reviews and patience._


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